Bengali New Year / Bohag Bihu Festival 2016

What is Bengali New Year / Bohag Bihu ?

Bengali New Year is the most important festival of the people of West Bengal. Bohag Bihu or Bihu is one of the important festivals among the people of Assam. These festivals transcend all the class and religious barriers and bring people together in an uninhabited and free manner. The people of Assam observe not only one but three Bihus according to their tradition. The word Bihu is drived from the tribal language of Dimasa kachari who lived from ancient time in the hillocks of Assam. Bengali New Year is known as Poyela Boishakh in the Bengali language. It is celebrated on the first day of the Bengali calendar. It is grandly celebrated in West Bengal and by Bengali communities living in Bangladesh, Tripura and Assam. It is to be noted that Bengali New year coincides with the numerous southern Asian calendar’s New Year Days.

History of Bengali New Year / Bohag Bihu

According to the North Eastern tradition of India, Bihu festival largely signifies the celebration of farming mainly paddy. The people of this particular region celebrate three Bihu festivals spread over a crop period. The beginning of sowing of seeds is marked with the Rongali bihu. The completion work regarding the sowing and transplantation of the saplings is marked with the Kati Bihu. Moreover the advent of the harvest period is marked with the Magh Bihu. Bihu and Bengali New Year are the biggest festivals of the people of Assam and West Bengal region.

How Bengali New Year / Bohag Bihu are celebrated?

Bengali New Year / Bohag Bihu are mainly a regional festival in North Eastern tradition of India. These festivals bring a sense of unity and solidarity among the people of this particular region. These festivals are celebrated with lot of fun and abundance. The peoples from irrespective of religion, belief, faith, creed and caste participate in these festivals. The peoples flock the temples for early Morning Prayer and give offering to God. They wear new clothes on these occasions. At home, the women folks make sweet items and share it among the friends and relatives.